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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · swing · mark · present · roll · vault · wax · ground

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rock — music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. present — a gift
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ground — the earth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. swing — music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — a position
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. roll — a list
  23. present — there
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com